Stand On My Own
by Determined Artist
Summary: Jaden sacrifice himself to save his friends, but at a price. Now, a few of his friends has some scares that needs to be healed.


_Syrus and Jaden strolled around duel academy. Jaden wearing his typical cheerful smile while Syrus had a beam that was bright as the sun that shone upon them. Things looked up. All of the sudden, Syrus noticed that his friend's face sifted towards a curious face. It made him curious too. Just as he was about to questioned, the taller Slifer dashed off. The smaller Slifer rushed after him._

 _Normally Syrus would have at least been able to stay close behind to the brunette, but this time was different. Each two steps he took Jaden, took three. "Jaden!" The blue hair teen called out. His heart raced, his breathing became rapid. He held out a hand in hopes that he would catch the runaway Slifer. "Wait-up!"_

 _Jaden didn't appear to listen as he kept at his pace. Soon Syrus tripped and failed._

"Agh... no... Don't Jaden!" Syrus cried as he shot-up painting. It was a dream, a nightmare. As he calmed his heart beat down, he heard someone snoring from above. Chumely. How his could friend sleep peacefully after what happen over a week ago, was a mystery.

The blue hair duelist sigh. Despite his friend's noise, he kept on expecting someone else to come in or hear their snoring, at any moment, yet he knew that would never happen. Not now, not ever. No matter how much he wished for it.

The small teen, gotten out and swapped his clothes for his day ones. Then he went out the door. He knew that it was pass curfew, but he needed to get out. Every waking moment that the Slifer stayed in there, the more it makes him yearn for the presences of his other friend, his best friend.

Just then, he found someone standing near the dock of the light house. Curious, he walked over. As he crept closer, he spotted a familiar figure. "Zane?"

"Huh?" The figure turned to face him. "It's you, what are you doing here little brother?"

"Oh, uh, I just needed to take a walk." Syrus stuttered before he went and set down, close to his brother.

"Are you okay?" His older brother asked sounding a bit concern. It kind of surprised the smaller teen. He didn't think that his brother would noticed. Zane had always been though on him. That was just who he was or at least that what Syrus thought. "Alexis and Chumley said that you're not eating well." It has been a while since the two brothers had a conversation that was about eldest one's concerned over the youngest. It felt rather... well, foreign.

"Yeah." He mumbled. It was true. He hadn't eaten that much and slept well, not since Jaden sacrifice himself from a magical manic to save him. Taking whatever little of energy he had left, so he could defeat the foe, while the smaller teen could only watched behind a barrier that he couldn't break. Week and helpless like a new born kitten. The pain of the lost and the memory of friend stuffing his face full of food, no matter how minor and happy, was too much too bear. "It's just that I missed Jaden that's all." He withhold telling him everything. Trying to be strong like the two role models in his life. It what his friend would have wanted. It's what his brother have been wanting.

"I see. You have grown rather attached to him since you arrived here."

"Yeah..." The Slifer muttered before silence took hold. It's almost been a year since the two friends met, yet Syrus felt a strong bond with Jaden as he was certain that he did with him; like those of actually brothers, which was ironic seeing how the relationship with his own brother was the opposite. After a few seconds he spoke up again. "Zane?"

"Hm?"

"Am I weak?"

"Hm?"

"I tried to be strong like you and Jaden." He stated, feeling the tears forming in his eyes, yet coiling his hands on his lap and struggling to keep his feelings in. "You know? Strong, independent, could take on anything, but no matter how I try, I can't..." Soon he couldn't keep emotions bottled-up and like a brittle dam, the tears came flowing out. "be like... that."

As Syrus broke-down, letting lose a enough water to make his eyes look like waterfalls, until his brother spoke up. "Listen Sy?" His voice wasn't mean, it sound more like a leader, calm, yet strong.

The smaller teen stopped. He looked up. "Huh?"

"You're only week when you have given up on everything and everyone that cares for you. Now, do you truly believe you've completely given up?"

The Slifer stared at his brother for a bit, caught-off at Zane's words. "No." He said before stood up. "You're right. I 'am not weak. Thanks Zane." Just before the teen could walk away, his brother called out.

"Syrus?"

"Huh?"

"If there's something you like to get off your chest, you can always talk to me."

With a beam, Syrus node to his brother and left. Hopefully, he would sleep better. Scratch that? He was certain that would he would.

* * *

A few days later. "Hey, Zane." A famine voice called to the Obelisk blue as stared in silence, out in a distance.

"Alexis?"

As the sandy blond walked towards him she informed him with a gentle smile. "I see Syrus is doing better."

"Huh?"

"I hear Chumely saying that he's finally eating more."

"I sure hope so, I hate to think that he would just waste his life like that."

"It's hard to believe it's been a week since Jaden did that."

"Indeed, but we can't mope around on it forever."

"Yeah; Jaden seemed like the person who would have wanted that..." The Obelisk female muttered. She too missed the lovable Slifer. "Zane?"

"Hm?"

"Do you miss Jaden?"

"Huh?"

"I know you two never got a chance to hang out together, so I was just wondering."

"I see. Well," He replied with a faint smile. "I may not have known Jaden personally, but I guess, I kind of gotten used to his antics and hanging around Sy most of time." He said in a calm fashion. He didn't lie, in fact, he missed Jaden. Though, not admitting it, he actually started to like the Slifer with his child-like behavior and all. He would been honored to have dueled him again, but now... You don't know what you got until it's gone. "So I take it you miss him?"

"Yeah. You know, it's funny how you never expected to miss someone who you known in a short amount of time. I never got a chance to have one last duel with him. I 'm sure he would have loved it. It's the least I could do after all he had done for me."

"I 'm sure, he would have accepted your offer with open arms."

"Thanks Zane."

He gave a node.

It took a few seconds before Alexis, spoke up. "So what do you think happen to Jaden's body?"

"Who knows?" Though, they were so sure that the spunky duelist wasn't coming back after they checked him over, no one knew whatever happen to his body as soon as it turned into balls of light that dissipated moments later.

* * *

Months passed by, Syrus looked better than he did. He has been talking to Zane more and Alexis and Chumely helps him out whenever they can. He has been sleeping and eating more, to which he was grateful for.

Though he still miss the presences of his friend, he was now certain that he could make it without him.

As the sun shine underneath a bright sun and a calm sky, the blue hair Slifer walked towards his dorm. He was going to have study party with Alexis and Chumely, but once the teen gotten close, he noticed something on the beach. Curious, he moved closer. At first was a brown speck, turned into hair. A thick head of hair.

His heart almost skipped a beat. It appeared to be... but no, he couldn't believe it. He just can't. That would be impossible, right?

The teen inched closer to person. He had to know, know for sure if this is who he thought it was. Just a brief look at the stranger's face, he was positive that this was in deed "Jaden!" breathing and appearing to be alive and a sleep.

He made no hesitation to lightly shake his shoulders. "Jaden!" The brown hair teen stir before shooting up his body and his arms like a jack-in-the-box. Syrus gotten an upper-cut to the face, but he didn't mind. Truth be told he kind of missed his friend doing that every time he would have to wake him.

"Huh?" As he sat up, he saw Jaden staring right at him with eyes so full of life, yet with questions. "S-Syrus?"

JADEN!" He called out as lunged and hugged his found friend.

"Hey ya Sy-" The brunette was about to say more, but the smaller Slifer cut him off. "It's you. Aw, I missed you! Don't leave me again!" He didn't care how it happened nor the tears leaking from his eyes, he was just happy to have best friend back.

"Hey Sy?"

"Huh?" The blue hair Slifer blurted as he let go of the taller teen. He looked at him with a baffle face.

"How long was I out?"

"Oh, a few months." Syrus said calmly that made Jaden look on in disbelief.

"A few months!"

"Hold on, you mean you didn't know?"

"Well, no. The last that I remember was winning against that duel spirit then I blacked-out." Just he stood and said "But who cares? I 'am back and that all that matters."

"Right." Syrus replied as he too gotten up. "Oh, yeah. Let's go to the dorms?"

"Huh? Why?-Ah, wa!" the blue hair teen snatched the brunette's wrist tugged him as he rushed to the dorms. "Syrus?"

Once they got to the dorms, the Syrus burst right through, still dragging Jaden with him. "Hey guys!" He cheered.

"Oh hey-" Chumely spoke before they who was with him.

"Jaden!" Their friends called in surprised.

"Yep!" The taller Slifer called out with a bright beam. "I 'am back!"


End file.
